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Eisteddfod success for Côr Bryn Owain

Monday, 5 August 2024 12:10

By Gareth Joy X @lookoutwales2

Côr Bryn Owain

A Cowbridge-based choir were runners-up in a brand new competition at the National Eisteddfod.

More than 750 singers took part in the competition, specificially aimed at choirs who had not taken part before at the Welsh festival, which is being held this year in Pontypridd.

Eisteddfod organisers said the competition was aimed at encouaging new choirs to form, or to reform, and were delighted when 14 choirs registeredt to take part.

Steffan Prys, competition co-cordinator, said: "The competition saw 750 people take part and many of these were stepping onto the National Eisteddfod stage for the very first time. It's quite possible without this new competition they might not have had the opportinity at all."

Sunday's final saw Côr Bryn Owain - which was only recently formed - came second to Côr Taflais from Cardiff with Côr Cyfeillion Melin Gruffydd, also from Cardiff, in third.

Côr Bryn Owain premiered a song called ''Bydd Gryf'' ('Be Strong'), written especially for the choir by Euros Rhys Evans with words by the archdruid, Mererid Hopwood.

Their conductor, Eleri Roberts, is a singing teacher who has also conducted the Vale-based Côr Heol Y March, one of Wales' most successful choirs, with Emily Gait-Scaglioni from Barry providing accompaniment.

The winning choir, Taflais, was co-founded by conductor Gronw Ifan, who said: "We'd done quite a lot of singing and competing with Aelwyd yr Urdd and wanted to keep singing."

"There are about 50 of us and some are local to the Cardiff area while others, like myself and Caradog, have moved to Cardiff from elsewhere in Wales."

"We competed successfully at the Urdd Eisteddfod at the end of May and thought we'd have a good chance at the National Eisteddfod. And so it proved, we're all delighted."

Among the other choirs who performed were a group of soldiers from the Welsh Guards who had travelled from their barracks near Windsor in Berkshire.

An officer said there had been a regimental choir many yeras ago but a decision had been taken recently to re-form.

There were also two more choirs from the Vale - Criw Canu Penarth and Lleisiau'r Fro from Barry.

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